👤 Team Facilitator
Purpose
At VSHN, teams are expected to work in a semi-autonomous and self-managed way, which includes not only delivering value but also organizing their work, coordinating with stakeholders, and continuously improving how they function.
We believe there is a need to assign a dedicated role in each team, focused on the team’s effectiveness and the team’s Fundamental Team Responsibilities. By assigning this role, the team reduces the cognitive load on individual members and can focus more effectively on value-creating work while keeping responsibility for how the team functions shared.
Accountabilities (Key Responsibilities)
To the OrganizationAct as an interface for questions about how the team worksFacilitate collaboration on the interfaces of the team
To the TeamFacilitate reflection, learning, and improvement of the team’s way of working.Coach team members in self-management and collaboration.Support effective meetings and team rituals (facilitate or enable facilitation).Facilitate impediment identification and ensure they are addressed by the right individuals.
Stakeholders and Key Deliverables
- The Team
Regular, facilitated moments for reflection and improvement (like retrospectives, reviews of how the team works).
Clear, agreed ways of working and team agreements.
Visible handling of team-level impediments and governance topics.
- Team members
Access to facilitation and coaching support.
A neutral space for addressing tensions or working challenges.
Clarity on expectations related to team processes and collaboration.
- Delegator
A reliable point of contact regarding how the team functions.
Transparency on recurring impediments, constraints, or support needs.
Feedback on how organizational principles and structures play out in the team.
- The Organization
Representation of team-level learnings and needs in cross-team contexts.
Shared patterns and insights on effective team practices.
Lightweight, maintained documentation of team ways of working.
Dependencies
Every VSHN team must cover this role’s responsibilities - delegating it to one person is the recommended approach.
Teams decide how to implement this role within the provided constraints.
Value Stream Teams applying Scrum will emphasize the Agile/Scrum/Kanban responsibilities as part of the same role.